


Edge of Nineteen

by szarvasoks



Series: House of Metal [2]
Category: The Gifted (TV 2017), WandaVision (TV), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Bipolar Disorder, Canon-Typical Violence, Father-Daughter Relationship, Healing, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rare Pairings, dadneto, lorna needs a hug, no dark phoenix, small chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29933331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szarvasoks/pseuds/szarvasoks
Summary: 19 year old Lorna Dane has just been dropped off at Xavier's school. She is haunted by a traumatic past and has spurred unease and suspicion with Charles. Erik is with Wanda looking for her children and husband. A continuation of "We're Not In Westview Anymore." Taking place after an alternate ending to WandaVision.
Relationships: Lorna Dane & Erik Lehnsherr, Lorna Dane & Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff & Wanda Maximoff, Lorna Dane/Jean Grey
Series: House of Metal [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2196144
Kudos: 26





	1. Prologue - Edge of Nineteen

**Author's Note:**

> This is the epilogue from "We're not In Westview Anymore." Please read that if you haven't!

“Professor, you have a visitor, it’s a lawyer.” Hank stepped into Charles’ study. Charles hated to admit that Hank’s permanent switch to his beast form still caught him off guard.   
“Thank you Hank, send them in.” Charles gestured. 

A tall, rail-thin woman came in. Her hair was long and silky, pitch black. Her face was angular and somewhat vaguely reptilian-like. Most striking were her long dark red nails. 

“Evangeline.” Charles smiled. “It’s been a while.”   
“It certainly has Charles.”   
“What brings you here on this lovely fall day.” Charles uttered in a singsong way.   
“I’m afraid it’s just business.” Evangeline sighed. 

Charles stretched to see out the doorway past Evangeline. There was a girl swaying in the foyer, a Walkman in her hands and her ears were covered by headphones. Most striking was her emerald green hair. It was in a messy half-up style. She looked exhausted. She wore a grimy band t-shirt that was definitely too big, and a hunter green plaid shirt on top of it. Her cuffed jeans were stained and ripped, and her black high tops were worn to the point of falling apart. 

“You’ve brought me someone?” Charles asked. Evangeline nodded.   
“I wouldn’t drop something like this on you if I had other options.” Evangeline continued.   
“Her name is Lorna Dane, she’s a mutant. She’s been in and out of psych wards for the past two years, and just got out today. It was court ordered in place of prison.”   
“What trouble did she get into?” Charles asked.  
“A gnarly scuffle between her and some anti-mutant protesters. Lots of injuries. Possibly casualties.” Evangeline continued. She placed a thick Manila folder on his desk. “I kept her out of mutant detention for now, but I know they have an interest in getting her.” 

Charles thumbed through her file. It was making him anxious.

“Her parents died in the 1981 incident?” Charles asked. A group of anti-mutant extremists brought down a plane of innocent people. 

“Lorna’s father had been the pilot. She was traveling along with her mother from the DC freedom march. She was the only survivor.” Evangeline said softly. 

“I didn’t know there were any survivors?”   
“They kept it hush because she was a minor and a mutant.” Evangeline said. 

“Since then, she’s been living in shelters or in mutant safe houses.” Evangeline said. “She is incredibly powerful. She just needs structure and to finish high school. That’s part of her plea deal, I convinced the judge to let me bring her here after her psych evaluation.” Evangeline was anxious, she couldn’t read Charles’s face. 

“Anyone who needs my help is welcome here.” Charles said. He was still anxious.   
“Thank you so much Charles!” Evangeline was relieved. “Lorna, please come in.” 

Lorna sighed and took off her headphones. The lawyer lady cut off her favorite song. Edge of Seventeen. It was on the last mixtape her dad had gifted her, supposed to be for their trip. She had listened to it so many times the music was starting to warp. 

“Lorna, this is Professor Charles Xavier,” Evangeline introduced them.   
“Hello Lorna,” Charles said warmly. Lorna only managed a small smile.  
“Welcome to your new home.” Evangeline said.  
“How are you, love?” Charles asked.   
“Besides mentally ill? Peachy.” Lorna snarked.   
Charles snorted.   
“So what can you do?” Charles sat forward. Lorna smiled coyly. She dug her hand slowly into her back pocket. Charles watched her hands glimmer green around the object, just as that happened something whizzed past his ear and hit and books behind him. He flipped his head around to see a pocket knife blade deep into an old genetics textbook. 

“Wow? Impressive.” Charles was a bit shocked.   
“That’s not it,” Lorna smirked. The green energy field returned to her hands and the lights in the room began to flicker and hiss. Charles could hear the electrical components of his wheelchair crackling. “That’s enough dear.” Charles said into her mind. The buzzing stopped and the knife flew back into her hand. 

“Sorry…”   
“No, it’s okay dear.” Charles assured her. “We’ll work to hone that ability. So electric telekinesis then?”  
“Not quite. Have a lot of cavities as a kid?” She said.   
“Only a few? Why?” 

Lorna made a slight tug at the small piece of metal inside Charles’ mouth. Her fingertips buzzed green.

“Also you would not believe how many girls here are hiding belly button rings.” Lorna chuckled. 

Charles was hit with a realization and made him shake internally. She had almost the same abilities as Erik. Erik, who was now god knows where with Wanda. He left a vague note and disappeared with her. 

“So, where’s my new digs?” She asked, breaking Charles’ thought. He quickly scanned her mind. He saw only glimpses of a happy family and something tragic. Nothing to fear. For now at least. Lorna turned to the hall and saw a beautiful bunch of red hair on a beautiful girl. 

Jean turned the corner to come talk to Charles when he shouted to her. 

“This is Jean Grey, she’s about your age, Jean, this is Lorna Dane, our new student.” 

“Oh, hi.” Jean said shyly. They only shared glances for a second. Lorna felt awkward and her heart skipped a beat. 

“Would you be so kind as to show her the grounds and find her a room.” Charles asked.  
“Of course, Professor.” Jean grabbed Lorna’s hand. 

“Thank you Evangeline, and thank you Mr. Xavier.” Lorna waved to them.   
“I should get going too.” Evangeline gathered herself. “Talk later?” She asked Charles.   
“Yes, of course. Any time.” 

Evangeline redid her red lipstick and left shortly. Hank finally came back in. 

“You look worried,” Hank mentioned.   
“I am worried.” Charles sighed. “I need you to get me as much information on the 1981 incident and our new student as you can.” Charles needed to quell his fears. 

She couldn’t possibly be Erik’s. Could she?


	2. 1981

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to a tragic day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for terrorism, mild violence, and religious doomsday stuff.

June 1981 - Washington DC 

Lorna clung to her mother’s arm as her father argued with the mutant customs agent. It was going to be harder to get home versus flying there. 

Her family had participated in a mutant freedom march in DC, flying all the way from Denver. Even with her father being a pilot they were still hassled. It always made Lorna ashamed. She would wish that she was normal. But her parents were exceedingly supportive. She was one of the lucky ones. So many mutant kids with human parents had been kicked out.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is all of a sudden? I fly with my daughter constantly and this is the first time you’ve all been unreasonable.” Arnold snapped at the agent.   
“Sir, please calm down.” The agent said. “Young lady, what are your abilities?” He asked. 

“Ah, uh telekinesis and green hair.” She replied. She’d learned to not say magnetism or electromagnetism especially if you were about to be in a flying electric metal tube in the sky.   
“You know, I’m not even sure you’re allowed to ask that?” Arnold snapped.   
“Listen there was a scuffle between the marchers and the counter protesters.” The agent calmed him.   
“We weren’t even near all that mess? Besides it was those anti-mutant thugs that got violent, why aren’t you screening every human with this scrutiny?”   
“We’re just being extra safe sir.” The agent replied.   
“This is ridiculous.” 

Lorna finally tuned out the noise and started to people-watch. She watched them hurrying to unknown destinations, staring at the clicking arrivals/departures board, and watching them sneer at the line of freaks. One girl passed her and smiled. She was tall and beautiful with a mop of auburn hair. She winked at Lorna. Definitely a fellow “freak.” 

The agent finally relented and gave the Danes a seal of approval to pass by. Her father snatched up his wife and daughter’s tickets and led them to the captain’s lounge to relax before the flight. 

“I’m sorry daddy.” Lorna hugged his arm.   
“It’s not your fault sweetpea. It’s never your fault. Just a lot of ignorant people in this world.” He replied.   
“We love you no matter what.” Sally hugged her daughter. 

“I’m so ready to be home.” Lorna sighed. Her parents chuckled. 

About an hour later they boarded. Arnold kissed his wife and hugged his daughter before going into the cockpit. Lorna noticed a group of men watching them from the front row. It made Lorna uneasy. 

Her and Sally made their way to their seats and settled in for the nearly five hour flight. 

Lorna loved airplanes. Her dad had instilled that love for sure. She could always tell the models apart and the type of engines they had. Magnificent metal birds. The metal made her feel safe. 

She beamed with pride when her father came on the intercom to say hello and give the flight duration and current Denver weather. They took off perfectly and headed into the sunny skies. 

The calm and pride ended abruptly an hour into the flight. The group of men in the front stood up, along with a few other rows. They walked single file down the rows, a few stopping at midway points. 

Sally clenched Lorna’s hand when one of the men stopped in front of them. Like clockwork they opened up their unseasonably warm coats, sweaters, and button-ups to reveal bright red painted crosses on white tshirts. 

“We are the church of humanity!” Some of them yelled. The man next to Lorna started eyeing her.   
“We are the guardians of the human race!” 

A loud banging could be heard at the front of the plane. Lorna watched in horror as some of the zealots forced their way into the cockpit. Then there was a loud bang.   
The zealots then revealed their guns and knives. The guns were plastic, easier to get through security. 

“All the mutties stand up!” The obvious leader barked.   
The more obvious mutants stood up. Lorna stayed planted. Petrified. 

“Lemme see your tickets?” The man next to them demanded. Lorna and Sally remained still. Sally squeezed her daughter’s hand. 

“Let me see them!” He barked and slapped Sally.   
“Never!” Sally hissed.   
The man brandished the plastic gun, only good for one shot, and he wanted to use it on Lorna’s mother. 

“Mom, just give him the tickets.” Lorna urged her. She started to cry which made the little reading light above them flicker. 

Shakily Sally pulled out their tickets. Lorna’s was stamped with an ugly red M. The man grunted and ripped Lorna from the window seat. Lorna turned bright red with fear. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. The other passengers near her turned their faces. 

He gripped her arm so tightly that it would leave a bruise. He pulled her away from Sally and dragged her down the aisle. 

“Mommy!!” Lorna wailed. Sally screamed in horror back and tried to stand but another zealot pushed her down. The lights buzzed and flickered as she was dragged down. 

“It’ll be okay sweetheart! Control your abilities!” Sally shouted.   
“Shut up, bitch.” A zealot ordered. 

The zealots lined up the mutants near the cockpit. Lorna could see a stranger in her father’s chair. She could also see her father’s hand on the floor and a pool of blood. It made her sob. One of the assailants slapped her across the mouth. 

“You’ve all been enlisted to fight the good fight ladies and gentlemen.” The leader said over the flight attendant intercom. “Look at these freaks, they’re a wake up sign from god. The X-gene is the mark of the beast!” He shouted. 

“Please! Just kill them, not us normal people!” Aman stood up.   
“Sorry mate, but in a war there will always be casualties. But we will all die for a just cause. Muffled screams and sobs came from throughout the plane. 

Lorna gritted her teeth. Her spine felt chilled but her limbs became hot. Her face burned with anger. Her hands turned to fists. Green danced around her fingertips. 

“Uhhahhh!” She growled, throwing her head up. All the knives flew from the zealots hands. She bent their blade mid air. The other mutants ducked down and some humans screamed. Lorna could sense the leader behind her. She pulled the screws from the seat and the floor and sent them careening like bullets. She smashed the metal thermos coffee pot into the leader. Lastly, she sent the heavy beverage cart flying down the aisle, seriously injuring the man who attacked her mom. Some of the guns went off and Lorna shielded herself but pulling up an entire seat. 

“Take this thing down! Now!” He barked at the amateur pilot before Lorna knocked him out again with the coffee pot. Everyone’s stomach dropped as the plane made a sudden jolt down. Unbuckled passengers flew up into the ceiling. Overhead bins popped open and let bags strike people. 

Lorna didn’t waiver. Green ran up her hands and arms as she put all her strength and concentration into lifting the plan back up. The engines groaned as she fought them. She’d never stretched her powers this far. The heaviest thing she ever lifted was a small horse trailer. Now she was the only thing keeping the 737 in the sky. She screamed in pain, her muscles ached as she won against the pilot. A pilot who had killed her father. 

The man who offered up the mutants’ lives stared in amazement. He stood up and started to cheer. The whole plane started shouting. It made her smile for the briefest moment before the leader came to and clubbed the back of her head with the broken pot. 

She didn’t remember the crash. She remembered her mother screaming her name. She curled into a ball and somehow unconsciously created a shield around her body. 

Her green hair mixed red with blood. The whole world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to have Lorna's hair be green from the start. Also if you read the first part of this series, the girl who winked at her was Wanda.


End file.
